Joe Dinga Pefok
17 March 2008
column
CPDM Deputy SG Embarrassed By Ban
The Minister of State in charge of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, Marafa Hamidou Yaya, in his press briefing in Yaounde recently, said the Littoral Governor, Francis Yengo Fai's January 15 ban on public demonstrations in Douala was against a plot by the opposition to launch what he termed "Operation Kenya."
Outspoken CPDM militant, Charles Ateba Yene, disclosed on Sweet FM in Douala on March 2 that during a debate at the US Embassy in Yaounde on February 14, the Deputy Secretary General of the CPDM, Gregoire Owona, said he was embarrassed by Fai Yengo's banning order.
It is difficult to imagine how Owona came out publicly against the Governor's decision, if the Governor had issued the order banning public demonstrations to check a terrorist threat. Or Marafa and the Governor want to say that somebody of Owona's status in the ruling party and government did not know the real reason for banning public demonstrations.
Governor Defies Own Ban
Fai Yengo's banning order clearly stated that all public demonstrations were banned across the province. He, however, claimed that it was not his own strategy to block opposition parties and civil society activists from protesting against the constitutional amendment.
When religious and traditional authorities complained about the ban that it was affecting their activities, it was instead the Wouri SDO, Bernard Atebede, who said that the ban was not concerned with traditional and religious activities. The Governor's banning order has faced a lot of public criticisms in Douala and beyond.
Even a growing number of CPDM officials and militants are known to have called for the ban to be lifted. Interestingly, the Governor himself has not been respecting the ban. He went ahead to preside at the Youth Day march-past on February 11 even though he had not lifted his ban.
It was the same on March 8, when the Governor presided at the Women's Day march-past. The MINATD boss on March 10 further distorted the Governor's banning order when he said that no public demonstration should hold without authorisation.
Operation Kenya
The story about the purported launching of "Operation Kenya" in Douala by the opposition, especially the SDF, started in Bonanjo when the MINADT boss visited Douala on March 28, which turned out to the last day of the strike.
A day earlier, President Biya had accused "apprentice sorcerers" of scheming to take over his lucrative office. Earlier in the day, it was Gregoire Owona who had accused the SDF National Chairman, John Fru Ndi, of being the brain behind the strike.
Some observers say the story about Operation Kenya in Douala was similar to the arrest and trial of some big shots like Alphonse Siyam Siwe, whereby they were reportedly arrested for embezzlement before the government started searching for charges to table in court against them.
To put up charges against apprentice sorcerers is very easy. It is a matter of getting a few of the kids who locked up in the different towns, linked them to the strike, intimidate them or promise to free them, and then hand them fabricated stories to tell in order to incriminate this or that opposition political figure.
There are also indications that journalists who will continue to attempt to poke their noses around on this issue of Operation Kenya will also be considered as "apprentice sorcerers", framed up and taught a lesson.
Blackmail To Silence Opposition
When in 1992, students of the then lone state university in Yaounde resisted the decision by the CPDM regime to introduce fees at the university, the system resorted to a cruel strategy and had its way.
One of the few students who was known to be working for the system in the standoff, Collins Jingoer Kamga, was burnt to death in his room, allegedly by elements of the secret service. The system claimed that the demonstrating students were behind the murder. The resistance died down as there was fear that any student who uttered a word against the payment of fees, would be arrested by the system.
There is a growing suspicion among Douala inhabitants that the regime's story about of Operation Kenya might not be very different from the above story.The suspicion is that the regime might be trying to exploit the recent demonstrations to blackmail or intimidate opposition parties and civil society activists, to drop the resistance against constitution revision.
That strategy seems to be working. For example, the Littoral SDF Provincial Chairman announced the suspension of public demonstrations in the province (The Post No. 0935). Not only was Nintcheu's passport seized at the Douala International Airport on March 2, but he was also arrested and interrogated for five hours.
The authorities claimed Nintcheu was one of those behind the recent upheavals in Douala. Furthermore, the whereabouts of political activist, Mboua Massock, is not known, since the family reported his disappearance in Douala on February 29.
Rumours that he was at New Bell Prison do not seem to be true as nobody has declared to have seen him there. Besides these, the civil society '"Front du Non" in Douala has gone silent. So if the CPDM regime so wishes, it can go ahead with the planned constitutional amendment in this March session of parliament without opposition.
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